Boysenberry 
Spring Edition and Price List—1940 
Facts 
By 
IRENE JARVIS 
Owner of 
Boysenberry Plantation 
Lapeer, Michigan 
"We Sell the Nation America’s Finest Genuine Northern-Gro r wn Boysenberry Plants” 
California Growers Ad¬ 
vocate $1600 Per Acre 
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THORNY BOYSENBERRY 
Growers Deceived By Thornless Variety 
BOYSENBERRY GROWING 
MADE EASY 
No longer is the culture of the 
Boysenberry an exclusive trade of 
the West. It has been proven con¬ 
clusively that the California Boy¬ 
senberry will grow and thrive where 
any other berry will grow. Boysen¬ 
berry culture is a now vocation, 
very remunerative—so much so 
that many growers in every section 
of the United States are choosing 
Boysenberries for their livelihood. 
A demand has been created for 
canned Boysenberries and Boysen¬ 
berry juice which cannot be sup¬ 
plied unless growers in the Middle 
West and the East cultivate it com¬ 
mercially. Canners and juice man¬ 
ufacturers are eagerly waiting for 
the development of fine plantations 
and soliciting growers for their 
crops. Why? Because the cost of 
shipping Boysenberry products 
from the Coast is too expensive. 
A case of pure Boysenberry juice 
rece ived from C 
cost $6.50 wholesale for 24 pint 
bottles. Adding $3.68 transporta¬ 
tion charges, made the cost per 
pint bottle 42c “wholesale,” and 
even at that figure there is a scar¬ 
city of pure Boysenberry juice to 
be had. About 8 V 2 quarts of Boy¬ 
senberries produce one gallon of 
pure Boysenberry juice. 
Figuring 435 plants to an acre 
with an average yield of ten quarts 
to a plant at as low a figure as 20c 
per quart and you would have an 
income far surpassing that of any 
other variety. 
IRRIGATION NOT ESSENTIAL 
FOR SUCCESSFUL CULTURE 
OF CALIFORNIA BOY¬ 
SENBERRY 
Growers everywhere are inquir¬ 
ing if it is necessary to irrigate the 
Boysenberry for the production of 
berries. 
Irrigation is not necessary for the 
production of Boysenberries any 
more than it is necessary for the 
production of strawberries or red 
raspberries, although irrigation 
naturally prolongs the bearing sea¬ 
son and has a tendency of produc¬ 
ing more and larger berries espe¬ 
cially if the season is inclined to 
be dry. 
For those who do not have irri¬ 
gation, an application of peat 
about the crown of the plant will 
help to conserve moisture although 
this practice is not necessary. 
Under the same climatic condi¬ 
tions, the Boysenberry is more 
drough resistant than other berries. I 
Commercial growers, in partic¬ 
ular, are interested in the possibil¬ 
ities of the thornless variety of the 
Boysenberry. Ever since the in¬ 
troduction of the Thornless Boy¬ 
senberry on the West Coast; Boy¬ 
senberry Plantation, Lapeer, Mich¬ 
igan, has put forth every effort to 
ascertain true statements regard¬ 
ing it. 
Only recently, one of the most 
prominent growers on the Pacific 
Coast wrote us: “We do not grow 
the Thornless Boysenberry nor the 
Neetarberry. We tried them but 
r ey have never been nearly as 
-xuitful as the ordinary Boysen¬ 
berry.” He also stated that the 
Neetarberry was so nearly like the 
Boysenberry that there was no ad¬ 
vantage in introducing it. 
An excerpt from the California 
Agricultural Extension Service 
says: “Thornless canes have been 
reported on the Boysenberry vari¬ 
ety by Walter Knott, but most 
thornless mutations of such berries 
are less fruitful.” 
The thorny variety of the Boy¬ 
senberry is not as bothersome as 
one is lead to believe. After the 
trellising is completed, the briars 
are of little trouble as the berries 
form in clusters and stand apart 
from the canes. 
The chief concern of every grow¬ 
er, whether commercial or domestic 
is quality and quantity. So far, 
there is no substitute for the thorny 
Boysenberry and the GENUINE 
stock of this variety even yet, is 
not too plentiful. So far as GEN¬ 
UINE Northern-Grown stock is 
concerned, there is a limited sup¬ 
ply. Do not be mislead by choos¬ 
ing the Thornless Boysenberry 
which has not been sufficiently 
tried out even on the Pacific Coast 
to warrant the exorbitant price of 
plants. If this variety had shown 
unusual merits, Boysenberry Plan¬ 
tation, Lapeer, Michigan would 
have been one of the first in the 
Middle West to introduce it. 
More economical operation in 
successful Boysenberry growing 
such as planting 10 x 10 permits 
checkerboard cultivation practical¬ 
ly the entire season; thereby, elim¬ 
inating all hand work. This spac¬ 
ing requires only 435 plants to an 
acre. 
For the first season, at least, 
keep the cane growth cut back to 
about six inches above the crown. 
This practice facilitates cultivating 
both ways for a longer period of 
time and at the same time devel¬ 
ops a strong root system necessary 
in the successful culture of the 
Boysenberry. In California, sea¬ 
sons are of longer duration; there- 
I fore, it is not necessary for grow¬ 
ers to practice the method of cut¬ 
ting the canes back to the crown 
for root development. In Northern 
climates, growers will profit by this 
practice. 
A Boysenberry plant will not 
yield a prolific crop of berries un¬ 
til it has reached maturity. This 
requires practically three years; 
therefore, the entire first year 
should be spent in root develop¬ 
ment. 
To quite an extent, proper trel¬ 
lising determines the success of the 
crop. Even distribution of light 
with either a Southern or Eastern 
exposure is important in the de¬ 
velopment of the luscious Boysen¬ 
berry. Trellis so that one cane 
does not touch another, leaving 
ample space between them. 
Spray in the dormant stage with 
lime surphur. It is one of the most 
important sprays of the season. 
Under no circumstances trellis 
ihe Boysenberry in the Fall. Let 
the canes remain on the ground in 
a straight line until Spring. Do not 
handle any more than necessary. 
This practice is not only costly but 
injurious. 
WHEN TO MAKE THE 
TRELLIS 
Adopting the new practice of 
keeping the growth cut back dur¬ 
ing the first season, at least, it is 
not necessary to make and install 
a trellis until the Fall of the second 
year. Posts and stakes should be 
set at this time, although if one 
wished to defray the expense of 
wire until the following Spring, it 
would not be necessary to install 
the wire until that time. However, 
slots should be cut in the stakes 
The above photograph illustrates the enormous root growth of a PARENT Boysenoerry plant. The wrap¬ 
ping of a PARENT plant is a very particular job repuiring a most painstaking method. Root development 
is the first requirement in successful Boysenberry culture. Our methods produce results. 
in the Fall so there would be no 
delay when stretching up the wire 
in the Soring. 
COMMERCIAL PLANTINGS FULLY 
MATURED AT MINIMUM EXPENSE 
Choose Boysenberries 
Untouched By Com¬ 
petition 
The Boysenberry market offers 
no competition. Think, if you can, 
of any other business, trade or pro¬ 
fession which is not highly compet¬ 
itive. 
A letter received recently from a 
leading California canner proves 
conclusively that even California 
canners cannot begin to supply the 
demand for canned Boysenberries 
that exists today. It is only Jan¬ 
uary and this leading canning con¬ 
cern has less than fifty cases of 
canned Boysenberries on hand 
while their stock is entirely deplet¬ 
ed of Boysenberry juice sold to 
soda fountains, hotels, etc. The 
demand for canned Boysenberries 
has even exceeded their expecta¬ 
tions. 
With the Boysenberry yielding 
more prolifically than any other 
berry and its price higher than any 
other commercial variety, the Boy¬ 
senberry merits the highest con¬ 
sideration of every prospective 
grower. 
Three acres of Boysenberries are 
easier and less expensive to grow 
than one acre of strawberries. In 
comparing the Boysenberry with 
other varieties, it has revolutioniz¬ 
ed the berry business. 
New Avenue of Revenue 
with Boysenberry 
The Boysenberry is just as fine 
a berry as it is represented. 
For the commercial grower, there 
is a tremendous demand for can¬ 
ned Boysenberries and as for Boy¬ 
senberry juice bottled in small bot¬ 
tles similar to those containing 
Welch grape juice, the market of¬ 
fers a real opportunity in the Mid¬ 
dle West and the East for new in¬ 
dustries. 
In fact, there is such a wide 
field with the new Boysenberry and 
so many diversifications pertaining 
to it; that one does not know which 
one to choose. Sold “fresh” the 
berries are actually a sensation and 
sell readily from 25c to 30c a quart, 
depending upon the calibre of the 
market to which they are taken. 
Specialty shops, of course, pay 
more. For those who live within 
the proximity of cold storage plants, 
there is unusual revenue for mer¬ 
chandising the Boysenberry by the 
“Frozen-Pack.” 
How to develop a Boysenberry 
Plantation as quickly as possible 
at a minimum expense is the 
question asked by prospective 
growers everywhere. 
First, consider the purpose for 
which the planting is to be made. 
Decide upon the amount of money 
to be invested and commence with 
as large a planting as one can af¬ 
ford. It should be remembered, 
however, that one acre of Boysen¬ 
berries well taken care of is to be 
preferred over that of several acres 
handled in a haphazard manner. 
The main object, of course, is to 
make the planting “full bearing” 
as soon as possible. 
Figuring 435 plants to an acre, 
the ideal commercial planting 
would be to alternate with a full 
two-year old plant and a Strong 
No. 1 two-year transplant. In one 
year, half the Plantation would be 
full bearing while in two years the 
entire acreage would be on a profit 
basis. 
Canning concerns and juice 
manufacturers are pushing “quick 
productivity” of Boysenberry plant¬ 
ings so the planting suggested 
above is quite ideal. 
For others, who are just as en¬ 
thusiastic in being one of the first 
in a great new enterprise, we sug¬ 
gest the alternating of a Strong 
two-year No. 1 transplant with a 
No. 1 tip. This type of planting 
also has considerable merit in that 
the two-year transplants would 
come into bearing one full year 
ahead of the tips. Of course, a 
planting made entirely of Strong 
No. 1 two-year transplants would 
be preferable but at the same time, 
if a larger acreage is desired at a 
minimum investment, the alternat¬ 
ing plan can be adopted most sat¬ 
isfactorily. By this method, the 
additional money could be used to 
Next to a Strong No. 1 Two-year transplant, a tip-rooted plant is the 
finest plant one can buy, especially if it is NORTHERN-GROWN. Fol¬ 
lowing the propagation, the plants are irrigated so there is sufficient 
moisture for immediate root development. 
